Target: Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, United Kingdom
Goal: Thank the British environment minister for calling for a ban on nearly all sales and exports of ivory.
Following pressure from animal rights organizations and outcry from the online community, as seen in petitions such as this one on ForceChange, the United Kingdom has announced plans that it will put an end to the trade of nearly all ivory products. In stating his proposal, Michael Gove, the environment minister for the U.K., stated that he wants to “get as close to a total ban as possible” and that he is pushing for “a ban that is more comprehensive than anywhere in the world.”
Earlier this year, it was revealed that records from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) showed that the United Kingdom was the largest exporter of legal antique ivory carved before 1947. According to experts in the global wildlife trade, the legal export and sale of ivory is often used as a front for illegal trade. It also helps fuel global demand, particularly in Asia. If this ban succeeds, it would likely result in less ivory available in the market overall, which may lower this demand.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 22,000 African elephants are killed for their tusks each year. In announcing this near-total ban on ivory sales and exports, the United Kingdom will be making an important first step toward ending the ivory trade altogether, which will save thousands of innocent lives. Sign below to thank the environment minister for this important proposal.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Gove,
I wish to thank you for listening to the voices of animal rights organizations and the public in pushing for a near-total ban on ivory sales and exports in the United Kingdom. With over 22,000 African elephants losing their lives each year to supply the ivory market in Asia, this is a necessary step in the right direction, as it will lessen the global demand for this product. Should the proposed legislation pass, it will be an important signal to the rest of the world that this trade must be brought to an end.
Thank you again for helping to ensure that African elephants will have a future in the wild.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Christine Sponchia
